E-Scum Gong Chapter 61 (Part 2)
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 61 (2/2)
“Sister-in-law...” That was quite a blow to a man’s pride, but he knew it wasn't wrong.
“First, let Lin Xu come out to his family gradually. Then, you need to make a good impression so they see you in a better light. Don't do any sneaky things,” Gu Qi advised.
Gu Jinzhi couldn’t help but feel that his older brother’s every word was a jab. Sneaky things?
“Don’t deny it. You even wanted to sneak out to meet your boyfriend,” Gu Qi said with a sidelong glance.
“That's genetic, you can't change it! What you're doing now isn't decent either,” Gu Jinzhi retorted instinctively.
After a brief stare-down, they both continued their discussion.
“Also, you can’t let your boyfriend reveal your relationship just yet…”
He thought to himself that it was impossible to fight the inevitable.
“Oh right, we can’t let Ah Xu argue with his family. He’s already got so much coursework, and he has to make time for me,” Gu Jinzhi said with a touch of sympathy, recalling how Ah Xu was always studying in his dorm during their video calls.
So you’re willing to have loud arguments with me, are you? Gu Qi smiled slightly.
“Right, Ah Xu is here today. I can see him.” Gu Jinzhi suddenly brightened up.
“What if he's embarrassed that he lied to you?” Gu Qi found it puzzling that his younger brother wasn’t upset. After all, this kind of concealment seemed serious for a relationship.
“He might… but I don’t really care. I’ll just express my thoughts clearly.” Gu Jinzhi shrugged it off. After all, this wasn't the first time they'd been in this situation.
Their relationship had never been about material concerns. Gu Jinzhi thought maybe Ah Xu only recently found out, or perhaps, to him, those conditions were trivial.
But then again, he was the one who had told more lies than Lin Xu. He looked around. At least, this hotel was indeed his family’s.
Gu Qi couldn’t quite understand his younger brother, though he admired the way his seemingly silly sibling held on to such idealism.
“You two should sort things out later, but don’t overstep. After all, it’s their territory.” Gu Qi was still concerned about being discovered by Lin Shen.
“Got it, got it.”
Gu Jinzhi found someone to bring Lin Xu over, specifically hinting that it was Zhizhi calling him and asking him not to bring anyone else. After all, Lin Xu wasn’t checking his phone and might not receive messages.
Gu Qi felt oddly like a thief.
“He’s probably quite busy right now. Maybe you should go back for now and catch up privately later?” With so many guests around, it was unlikely Lin Xu would be free. He was also worried about his younger brother staying in such an unsecured area.
“He’ll definitely come to find me,” Gu Jinzhi said with confidence, using his wine glass to shield his face.
Who knew how long Ah Xu was planning to stay? The holiday was so short, why would he go home now that he was here?
Gu Qi was about to retort and tell his older brother not to be so sure of himself, but he fell silent when he saw Lin Xu approaching, and he closed his mouth.
He couldn’t help but envy his younger brother’s good fortune.
Lin Xu gave a polite nod to Gu Qi before walking over to Gu Jinzhi. He hadn’t expected that the “Mr. Gu” his older brother mentioned would actually be Gu Jinzhi’s older brother.
“Zhizhi, why are you hiding your face?” Lin Xu asked curiously.
Gu Jinzhi glanced around to make sure Lin Shen didn't follow, then lowered his wine glass and looked at Lin Xu.
“I…” Lin Xu considered his position tonight and wanted to explain. He hadn’t known about this situation and certainly hadn’t intended to deceive anyone.
“It’s okay. We can talk about it later,” Gu Jinzhi said, guiding Lin Xu to a seat. He couldn’t resist placing his hand on Lin Xu’s waist, admiring the impressive proportions of his broad shoulders and narrow waist. It was no wonder others might be envious.
“Ahem…” Gu Qi wondered if he should even be there. It seemed his earlier advice had gone unheard.
“Ge, go talk to Mr. Lin for a while,” Gu Jinzhi instructed.
Gu Qi walked away with a look of resignation. Who could he do? After all, this guy was his younger brother.
“Are you tired?” Gu Jinzhi asked, knowing Lin Xu wasn’t fond of socializing.
“Not really.” Lin Xu felt much more at ease after sitting beside Zhizhi. Of course, he still couldn't relax as much as Gu Jinzhi, who was sitting with an ankle propped over his opposite knee.
Gu Jinzhi massaged his shoulders, aware of how tiring it must be to keep up appearances all night. He then leaned in and whispered, “Ah Xu, we can’t tell your big brother about us for now.”
“?” Lin Xu was puzzled. While there was no need to specifically mention it, he figured he would naturally reveal it when the time was right.
“I… I’m not exactly his type. He’s seen my Moments and has a poor impression of me,” Gu Jinzhi explained. Lin Shen would probably be furious if he knew Gu Jinzhi had been pursuing Lin Xu even before his college entrance exams.
“Hmm… I can explain,” Lin Xu said, feeling that his relationship shouldn’t affect his older brother. However, if Gu Jinzhi was concerned, he was willing to take it slow. After all, it was mainly their own affair.
“I never imagined this place really belonged to your family. I thought you were lying,” Gu Jinzhi said incredulously as he leaned on Lin Xu’s shoulder.
“It doesn’t really have much to do with me,” Lin Xu replied. It was all earned by his parents.
“I knew it.” Ah Xu had always been focused on his own efforts, which reassured Gu Jinzhi. He knew Lin Xu would never change his feelings based on external circumstances, even if his family went bankrupt or his appearance changed.
“It’s such a pity! I shouldn't have disbanded the group so soon! If they had known, it would have been a blast.” Gu Jinzhi lamented, though he didn’t regret it too much. He couldn't let Ah Xu be bothered by those people.
Lin Xu hadn’t noticed that the group had been disbanded. But under the starlight, just like this, quietly letting Gu Jinzhi lean on him, he felt it was a very eternal experience.
Suddenly, his cheek was wet again, the warm touch sending shivers down his spine. Gu Jinzhi naturally settled onto his lap, the sweet scent of pastries lingering in his breath. Playfully, he reached a hand into Lin Xu's waist.
“Disciplined people are really terrifying,” Gu Jinzhi complained. Was he the only one struggling in their relationship? He ate so much every day, yet Ah Xu's abs remained so firm.
Lin Xu, maintaining a serious expression, resolved to be even more disciplined.
The internet, like a giant web, had ensnared everyone, and unknown things were happening everywhere.
For instance, on a gay forum, a post suddenly went viral, titled "Local Gay Group Members, Come Together."
“Is it just my network acting up? How did such a large group disappear? Did the admin disband it?”
Replies flooded in, as the group’s origin was indeed on the forum.
“Yes, yes! The group vanished overnight! Luckily, I added some friends from the group, so I’m not completely out of the loop.”
“Did the group admin lose his mind? Why disband the group out of the blue?”
“Well… someone had to say it. Some busybodies kept gossiping about other people’s partners and even spread rumors about being kept? It's normal for the group admin to be angry...”
“Who knows if it was guilt or if the admin had a falling out with his partner and took it out on the group. We don’t know the full story.”
“Just passing by, but what kind of group was it? Sounds like there's some juicy gossip.”
“I remember now, it was the group I applied to but got rejected from. The admin said I was too ugly... I heard there were a lot of handsome guys in there.”
“Good riddance! Serves them right! Don't ugly people deserve love, huh?”
“I can’t even check my didi's Moments… though he doesn’t post much… It’s all your fault, you nosy b*tches! He hasn’t even accepted my friend request yet!”
“We still don’t know who the admin was or what they looked like… It’s really frustrating! Too bad we won’t get a chance now.”
“From what I gather, you guys chased away a super handsome guy. Serves you right. Our group's ugly, average guys are all praised to the heavens. If I could meet a pure, handsome guy, I'd definitely lick him to death...”
“Ugh, disgusting. It’s 0s like you, with no boundaries, that there are so many scum 1s. But I’m clapping for this, honestly! I’m too ugly to get into these high-level groups anyway. Glad to see it, hahahaha!”